Untruths the environment minister tells us

Dec 29, 2009, 8:39 PM EST

Remember a few months ago, at that big climate change summit in Bangkok, how the delegates from a bunch of developing nations all walked out, en mass, during a presentation by the Canadian delegate? And how our Environment Minister said that it was over-exaggerated, and that no walkout really happened, and so on? Well, as it turns out, it did happen after all. The delegate who was there said so, despite the Environment Minister telling the rest of us back in Canada that he said otherwise. In other words, Jim Prentice, once again, told a deliberate untruth to the Canadian public it took this long for him to get called out on it – when it’s far from everyone’s mind.

And yet, this is just one more piece in the pattern. Look at the way this government responded to the allegations brought forward by Richard Colvin on Afghan detainees being exposed to torture – it was to deny, obfuscate, and smear. And yet the Canadian public is apparently just shrugging, and moving along. Seriously? And even now that the media is finally starting to call them out on it, people are just shrugging, not caring that the Prime Minister is ignoring the will of Parliament, undermining our system of democracy, and acting like a monarch. I seriously have to wonder what it will take for people to wake up and stop shrugging it off.

Peter Van Loan and John Baird want you to know that they’re on the case after this whole attempted terrorist bombing of an airline. Except, of course, that we have a limited ability to share intelligence about terror suspects. Hmm – you’d think that in this era of terrorism paranoia, this would be a higher priority for various countries.

The CBC’s Kady O’Malley takes a look at the way the Senate numbers are stacking up right now, given that Harper is expected to name five new Conservatives to the Upper Chamber after two more Senators retire on January 2nd.

The Toronto Star takes a look back at the case of Suaad Hagi Mohamud, who has largely disappeared from sight now that she’s returned to Canada. And while I still think that Foreign Affairs was in the wrong on this, there are a few interesting contradictions creeping into this story that may well see the light of day when she takes the government to court for damages after her ordeal.

And oh, look – Malawi arrested a “newly-wed” (but only symbolically) gay couple for “gross indecency.” While this is isn’t unexpected given the rampant homophobia that Africa seems to be experiencing, one has to wonder why Madonna isn’t saying something, given that she seems to have taken such an interest in Malawi. Unless of course that interest is simply to adopt children from there.